Themes from the new book: Corporate Competitiveness

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I’m writing a new book that I expect to come out in early 2013.  It focuses on corporate power — not only in business and finance, but power in our government and even over the public dialog about what is best for our country.  My expertise is in governance and so I have, time and again, come back to the idea that corporations need to be accountable.  But we can no longer think that they are going to voluntarily do what’s right.  I think that’s been proven in the last several years.

From my vantage point, I’m at an age where it’s more important to say what I think is right than it is to worry about whether I’m accepted as a member of the clubable society.  I can be very plain in terms of confronting what appears to me to be power that is inappropriately exercised, professional responsibilities that have been shirked, and in doing this I understand that it will inevitably create anger and certainly people will not want to invite me to join their club but it needs to be said.  That’s what this book is about

More to come in the next few weeks but to start have a look at this video.  We’re constantly discussing the need for American businesses must be “competitive” and have become very willing to accept it when corporations slough off their expenses (taxes, pensions, wages, etc.) onto society.  But with the steady decline of company pensions we have seen an enormous growth in CEO pay.